Agreed. If they don't listen to pur demands, smash the economy and hit them where it counts. Their wallets. Remind them that they are going down with us. They won't experiment on us and then run away with their money.

I feel like you are making the classic American mistake of hunting only for "the best." We don't have enough people of that moral caliber to fill up every last seat of power in this country. People who are that moral don't always go into politics. You're gonna have to accept our rats and worms.

I can't operate under that idea, as believing that would just lead me to make the wise choice of putting my head in the sand and enjoying what's left of my life. I have to believe it's not gone, because nothing else really matters if that is the case.

It's because cynicism is often conflated with skepticism, which is helpful. Skepticism involves the understanding that the people in charge of things are human, so both incompetence and self-interest rule their decisions. "Why don't you check it again?" Cynicism is faith that everyone sucks.